> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://unkey.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Set environment variables > Create or update environment variables for an environment in a single atomic request. By default this is an upsert: each variable in the payload is created if new or fully overwritten if the key already exists, and any variable not in the payload is left untouched. This lets you change one variable without re-sending the others, which matters for write-only secrets you can no longer read back. Set `prune: true` to make it a full replace instead: after upserting, every variable not in the payload is deleted. Sending `prune: true` with an empty `variables` list resets the environment by deleting every variable. Each variable is written exactly as sent, never merged, so omitted optional fields fall back to their defaults rather than the previous value. Values are always encrypted at rest. Set `kind: recoverable` to allow a value to be read back; it defaults to `writeonly`, which can never be read back through the API. **Required Permissions** Your root key must have one of the following permissions: - `environment.*.set_environment_variables` (for any environment) - `environment..set_environment_variables` (for a specific environment) ## OpenAPI ````yaml https://spec.speakeasy.com/unkey/unkey/openapi-json-with-code-samples post /v2/environments.setEnvironmentVariables openapi: 3.1.0 info: description: >- Unkey's API provides programmatic access for all resources within our platform. ### Authentication # This API accepts HTTP Bearer credentials. Public integrations use root keys. Dashboard-originated requests use a short-lived dashboard proxy JWT minted by the dashboard server. Most endpoints require permissions associated with the authenticated principal. When making public API requests, include your root key in the `Authorization` header: ``` Authorization: Bearer unkey_xxxxxxxxxxx ``` All responses follow a consistent envelope structure that separates operational metadata from actual data. This design provides several benefits: - Debugging: Every response includes a unique requestId for tracing issues - Consistency: Predictable response format across all endpoints - Extensibility: Easy to add new metadata without breaking existing integrations - Error Handling: Unified error format with actionable information ### Success Response Format: ```json { "meta": { "requestId": "req_123456" }, "data": { // Actual response data here } } ``` The meta object contains operational information: - `requestId`: Unique identifier for this request (essential for support) The data object contains the actual response data specific to each endpoint. ### Paginated Response Format: ```json { "meta": { "requestId": "req_123456" }, "data": [ // Array of results ], "pagination": { "cursor": "next_page_token", "hasMore": true } } ``` The pagination object appears on list endpoints and contains: - `cursor`: Token for requesting the next page - `hasMore`: Whether more results are available ### Error Response Format: ```json { "meta": { "requestId": "req_2c9a0jf23l4k567" }, "error": { "detail": "The resource you are attempting to modify is protected and cannot be changed", "status": 403, "title": "Forbidden", "type": "https://unkey.com/docs/errors/unkey/application/protected_resource" } } ``` Error responses include comprehensive diagnostic information: - `title`: Human-readable error summary - `detail`: Specific description of what went wrong - `status`: HTTP status code - `type`: Link to error documentation - `errors`: Array of validation errors (for 400 responses) This structure ensures you always have the context needed to debug issues and take corrective action. title: Unkey API version: 2.0.0 servers: - url: https://api.unkey.com security: - bearer: [] tags: - description: Analytics query operations name: analytics - description: API management operations name: apis - description: App management operations name: apps - description: Deployment operations name: deploy - description: Deployment operations name: deployments - description: Environment management operations name: environments - description: Identity management operations name: identities - description: API key management operations name: keys - description: Health check operations name: liveness - description: Permission and role management operations name: permissions - description: Gateway policy operations name: gateway - description: Customer Portal session management name: portal - description: Rate limiting operations name: ratelimit paths: /v2/environments.setEnvironmentVariables: post: tags: - environments summary: Set environment variables description: > Create or update environment variables for an environment in a single atomic request. By default this is an upsert: each variable in the payload is created if new or fully overwritten if the key already exists, and any variable not in the payload is left untouched. This lets you change one variable without re-sending the others, which matters for write-only secrets you can no longer read back. Set `prune: true` to make it a full replace instead: after upserting, every variable not in the payload is deleted. Sending `prune: true` with an empty `variables` list resets the environment by deleting every variable. Each variable is written exactly as sent, never merged, so omitted optional fields fall back to their defaults rather than the previous value. Values are always encrypted at rest. Set `kind: recoverable` to allow a value to be read back; it defaults to `writeonly`, which can never be read back through the API. **Required Permissions** Your root key must have one of the following permissions: - `environment.*.set_environment_variables` (for any environment) - `environment..set_environment_variables` (for a specific environment) operationId: environments.setEnvironmentVariables requestBody: content: application/json: examples: replace: description: |- With `prune: true`, the listed variables become the entire environment. Any variable not in the list is deleted. summary: Full replace with prune value: app: payments-api environment: production project: payments prune: true variables: - key: DATABASE_URL kind: writeonly value: postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db - description: Application log verbosity key: LOG_LEVEL kind: recoverable value: debug reset: description: >- An empty `variables` list with `prune: true` deletes every variable in the environment. summary: Reset - delete every variable value: app: payments-api environment: production project: payments prune: true variables: [] upsert: description: >- Without `prune`, only the listed variables are created or overwritten. Every other variable, including write-only secrets you can no longer read back, is left untouched. Here LOG_LEVEL is flipped to info and nothing else is affected. summary: Upsert (default) - change one variable, keep the rest value: app: payments-api environment: production project: payments variables: - key: LOG_LEVEL kind: recoverable value: info schema: $ref: >- #/components/schemas/V2EnvironmentsSetEnvironmentVariablesRequestBody required: true responses: '200': content: application/json: schema: $ref: >- #/components/schemas/V2EnvironmentsSetEnvironmentVariablesResponseBody description: | Successfully set the environment variables. '400': content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/BadRequestErrorResponse' description: Bad request '401': content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/UnauthorizedErrorResponse' description: Unauthorized '403': content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/ForbiddenErrorResponse' description: >- Forbidden - Insufficient permissions (requires `environment.*.set_environment_variables`) '404': content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/NotFoundErrorResponse' description: >- Not Found - The requested environment does not exist in your workspace '429': content: application/problem+json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/TooManyRequestsErrorResponse' description: Too Many Requests '500': content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/InternalServerErrorResponse' description: Internal server error security: - bearer: [] x-codeSamples: - lang: python label: Python (SDK) source: |- from unkey.py import Unkey, models with Unkey( root_key="", ) as unkey: res = unkey.environments.set_environment_variables(project="payments", app="payments-api", environment="production", variables=[ { "key": "DATABASE_URL", "value": "postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db", }, { "key": "LOG_LEVEL", "value": "debug", "kind": models.Kind.RECOVERABLE, "description": "Application log verbosity", }, ], prune=True) # Handle response print(res) - lang: typescript label: Typescript (SDK) source: |- import { Unkey } from "@unkey/api"; const unkey = new Unkey({ rootKey: process.env["UNKEY_ROOT_KEY"] ?? "", }); async function run() { const result = await unkey.environments.setEnvironmentVariables({ project: "payments", app: "payments-api", environment: "production", variables: [ { key: "DATABASE_URL", value: "postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db", }, { key: "LOG_LEVEL", value: "debug", kind: "recoverable", description: "Application log verbosity", }, ], prune: true, }); console.log(result); } run(); - lang: go label: Go (SDK) source: "package main\n\nimport(\n\t\"context\"\n\t\"os\"\n\tunkey \"github.com/unkeyed/sdks/api/go/v2\"\n\t\"github.com/unkeyed/sdks/api/go/v2/models/components\"\n\t\"log\"\n)\n\nfunc main() {\n ctx := context.Background()\n\n s := unkey.New(\n unkey.WithSecurity(os.Getenv(\"UNKEY_ROOT_KEY\")),\n )\n\n res, err := s.Environments.SetEnvironmentVariables(ctx, components.V2EnvironmentsSetEnvironmentVariablesRequestBody{\n Project: \"payments\",\n App: \"payments-api\",\n Environment: \"production\",\n Variables: []components.EnvironmentVariableInput{\n components.EnvironmentVariableInput{\n Key: \"DATABASE_URL\",\n Value: \"postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db\",\n },\n components.EnvironmentVariableInput{\n Key: \"LOG_LEVEL\",\n Value: \"debug\",\n Kind: components.KindRecoverable.ToPointer(),\n Description: unkey.Pointer(\"Application log verbosity\"),\n },\n },\n Prune: unkey.Pointer(true),\n })\n if err != nil {\n log.Fatal(err)\n }\n if res.V2EnvironmentsSetEnvironmentVariablesResponseBody != nil {\n // handle response\n }\n}" components: schemas: V2EnvironmentsSetEnvironmentVariablesRequestBody: type: object required: - project - app - environment - variables properties: project: $ref: '#/components/schemas/ResourceIdentifier' app: $ref: '#/components/schemas/ResourceIdentifier' environment: $ref: '#/components/schemas/ResourceIdentifier' variables: type: array maxItems: 50 items: $ref: '#/components/schemas/EnvironmentVariableInput' description: > The variables to upsert. Each entry is created if its key is new or fully overwritten if the key already exists. Existing variables whose keys are not in this list are left untouched, unless `prune` is true. Each entry is written exactly as sent, never merged with the current state. Only `value` is required; omitted optional fields (`kind`, `description`) fall back to their defaults rather than any previous value, so overwriting a variable without a `description` clears it. Each key may appear at most once; a duplicate key is rejected with a 400. The whole operation is atomic: if any part fails the environment is left unchanged. All values are encrypted at rest. Limited to 50 variables per request. prune: type: boolean default: false description: >- Optional. Defaults to false. When false, the variables above are upserted and any existing variable not in the list is kept. When true, this becomes a full replace: after upserting, every variable not in the list is deleted. Combined with an empty `variables` list, `prune: true` resets the entire environment by deleting every variable. additionalProperties: false V2EnvironmentsSetEnvironmentVariablesResponseBody: type: object required: - meta - data properties: meta: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Meta' data: $ref: '#/components/schemas/EmptyResponse' additionalProperties: false BadRequestErrorResponse: type: object required: - meta - error properties: meta: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Meta' error: $ref: '#/components/schemas/BadRequestErrorDetails' description: >- Error response for invalid requests that cannot be processed due to client-side errors. This typically occurs when request parameters are missing, malformed, or fail validation rules. The response includes detailed information about the specific errors in the request, including the location of each error and suggestions for fixing it. When receiving this error, check the 'errors' array in the response for specific validation issues that need to be addressed before retrying. UnauthorizedErrorResponse: type: object required: - meta - error properties: meta: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Meta' error: $ref: '#/components/schemas/BaseError' description: >- Error response when authentication has failed or credentials are missing. This occurs when: - No authentication token is provided in the request - The provided token is invalid, expired, or malformed - The token format doesn't match expected patterns To resolve this error, ensure you're including a valid root key in the Authorization header. ForbiddenErrorResponse: type: object required: - meta - error properties: meta: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Meta' error: $ref: '#/components/schemas/BaseError' description: >- Error response when the provided credentials are valid but lack sufficient permissions for the requested operation. This occurs when: - The root key doesn't have the required permissions for this endpoint - The operation requires elevated privileges that the current key lacks - Access to the requested resource is restricted based on workspace settings To resolve this error, ensure your root key has the necessary permissions or contact your workspace administrator. NotFoundErrorResponse: type: object required: - meta - error properties: meta: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Meta' error: $ref: '#/components/schemas/BaseError' description: >- Error response when the requested resource cannot be found. This occurs when: - The specified resource ID doesn't exist in your workspace - The resource has been deleted or moved - The resource exists but is not accessible with current permissions To resolve this error, verify the resource ID is correct and that you have access to it. TooManyRequestsErrorResponse: type: object required: - meta - error properties: meta: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Meta' error: $ref: '#/components/schemas/BaseError' description: >- Error response when the client has sent too many requests in a given time period. This occurs when you've exceeded a rate limit or quota for the resource you're accessing. The rate limit resets automatically after the time window expires. To avoid this error: - Implement exponential backoff when retrying requests - Cache results where appropriate to reduce request frequency - Check the error detail message for specific quota information - Contact support if you need a higher quota for your use case InternalServerErrorResponse: type: object required: - meta - error properties: meta: $ref: '#/components/schemas/Meta' error: $ref: '#/components/schemas/BaseError' description: >- Error response when an unexpected error occurs on the server. This indicates a problem with Unkey's systems rather than your request. When you encounter this error: - The request ID in the response can help Unkey support investigate the issue - The error is likely temporary and retrying may succeed - If the error persists, contact Unkey support with the request ID ResourceIdentifier: type: string minLength: 3 maxLength: 255 pattern: ^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$ description: | Identifies a resource by either its unique ID or its slug. Accepts a prefixed ID (such as 'proj_' or 'app_') or a slug. example: proj_1234abcd EnvironmentVariableInput: type: object description: A single environment variable to set. required: - key - value properties: key: type: string minLength: 1 maxLength: 256 pattern: ^[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*$ description: | The variable name. Must be a POSIX shell name: letters, digits, and underscores only, and must not start with a digit. Other names are unreachable from shells and most runtimes. example: DATABASE_URL value: type: string minLength: 1 maxLength: 16384 description: > The variable value. Always encrypted at rest. The limit is enforced server-side in UTF-8 bytes, so a multibyte value may be rejected before it reaches this code-point maximum. example: postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db kind: allOf: - $ref: '#/components/schemas/EnvironmentVariableKind' default: writeonly description: | How the value may be read back. Defaults to `writeonly`. description: type: string maxLength: 255 description: | Human-readable description of the variable. example: Primary database connection string additionalProperties: false Meta: type: object required: - requestId properties: requestId: description: >- A unique id for this request. Always include this ID when contacting support about a specific API request. This identifier allows Unkey's support team to trace the exact request through logs and diagnostic systems to provide faster assistance. example: req_123 type: string additionalProperties: false description: >- Metadata object included in every API response. This provides context about the request and is essential for debugging, audit trails, and support inquiries. The `requestId` is particularly important when troubleshooting issues with the Unkey support team. EmptyResponse: type: object additionalProperties: false description: >- Empty response object by design. A successful response indicates this operation was successfully executed. BadRequestErrorDetails: allOf: - $ref: '#/components/schemas/BaseError' - type: object properties: errors: description: >- List of individual validation errors that occurred in the request. Each error provides specific details about what failed validation, where the error occurred in the request, and suggestions for fixing it. This granular information helps developers quickly identify and resolve multiple issues in a single request without having to make repeated API calls. items: $ref: '#/components/schemas/ValidationError' type: array required: - errors description: >- Extended error details specifically for bad request (400) errors. This builds on the BaseError structure by adding an array of individual validation errors, making it easy to identify and fix multiple issues at once. BaseError: properties: detail: description: >- A human-readable explanation specific to this occurrence of the problem. This provides detailed information about what went wrong and potential remediation steps. The message is intended to be helpful for developers troubleshooting the issue. example: Property foo is required but is missing. type: string status: description: >- HTTP status code that corresponds to this error. This will match the status code in the HTTP response. Common codes include `400` (Bad Request), `401` (Unauthorized), `403` (Forbidden), `404` (Not Found), `409` (Conflict), and `500` (Internal Server Error). example: 404 format: int type: integer title: description: >- A short, human-readable summary of the problem type. This remains constant from occurrence to occurrence of the same problem and should be used for programmatic handling. example: Not Found type: string type: description: >- A URI reference that identifies the problem type. This provides a stable identifier for the error that can be used for documentation lookups and programmatic error handling. When followed, this URI should provide human-readable documentation for the problem type. example: https://unkey.com/docs/errors/unkey/resource/not_found type: string required: - title - detail - status - type type: object additionalProperties: false description: >- Base error structure following Problem Details for HTTP APIs (RFC 7807). This provides a standardized way to carry machine-readable details of errors in HTTP response content. EnvironmentVariableKind: type: string enum: - recoverable - writeonly description: > How the value may be read back. `writeonly` values can never be read back through the API; `recoverable` values can be decrypted. Values are encrypted at rest either way. example: writeonly ValidationError: additionalProperties: false properties: location: description: >- JSON path indicating exactly where in the request the error occurred. This helps pinpoint the problematic field or parameter. Examples include: - 'body.name' (field in request body) - 'body.items[3].tags' (nested array element) - 'path.apiId' (path parameter) - 'query.limit' (query parameter) Use this location to identify exactly which part of your request needs correction. type: string example: body.permissions[0].name message: description: >- Detailed error message explaining what validation rule was violated. This provides specific information about why the field or parameter was rejected, such as format errors, invalid values, or constraint violations. type: string example: Must be at least 3 characters long fix: description: >- A human-readable suggestion describing how to fix the error. This provides practical guidance on what changes would satisfy the validation requirements. Not all validation errors include fix suggestions, but when present, they offer specific remediation advice. type: string example: >- Ensure the name uses only alphanumeric characters, underscores, and hyphens required: - location - message type: object description: >- Individual validation error details. Each validation error provides precise information about what failed, where it failed, and how to fix it, enabling efficient error resolution. securitySchemes: bearer: bearerFormat: bearer token description: >- Unkey uses bearer tokens for authentication. Public integrations use root keys, while the dashboard proxy uses short-lived JWTs. To authenticate, include the token in the Authorization header of each request: ``` Authorization: Bearer unkey_123 ``` Root keys have specific permissions attached to them, controlling what operations they can perform. Legacy permissions use tuple strings like `api.*.create_key`; resource permissions use Unkey Resource Names plus actions, like `unkey:v1:ws_123:keyspaces/*#create_key`. Security best practices: - Keep root keys secure and never expose them in client-side code - Use different root keys for different environments - Rotate keys periodically, especially after team member departures - Create keys with minimal necessary permissions following least privilege principle - Monitor key usage with audit logs. scheme: bearer type: http x-speakeasy-name-override: rootKey ````